Game



Jan. 31, 1939.

J. W. HOBBS ET AL GAME Filed July 2, 19157 2 Sheets-Sheet l mw @um wwwINV ENTO R 5 J OHN W H0555 C O/QNE L/ U5 HT ATTO RNEY Jan. 31, 1939. J.W. HOBBS ET. AL.

GAME

Filed July 2, 1937 Z'Sheets-Sheet 2 .96E m mm2 0cm Eco .ENC t8: B. 95E

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INVENTORS JOHN W. H0555 .COQ/VENUS HART ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 31, 1939GAME John W. Hobbs, Long Island City, and Cornelius F Hart, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Application July 2, i937, Seriai No. 151,554

This invention relates to an improvement in game apparatus, andparticularly to that type oi game in which each player is provided witha playing piece which is advanced over a route laid out on a field, theprogress through the held being determined by chance.

More specifically, theeld of this game relates preferably to a WorldsFair", the game herein described being specially applicable to thegrounds of the Worlds Fair to be held in the city of New York during theyear 1939.

It is within the contemplation oi this game to enable the variousplayers to make a complete tour of the Fair grounds and visit thevarious exposition buildingsthe1'eon, thereby providing not only apleasant and interesting pastime, but

also presenting the players an opportunity to thoroughly acquaintthemselves with the physical lay-out of the Fair grounds and thearrangement of the buildings thereon.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the drawings andthe description hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawings,

, Figure 1 is a plan view of one form or arrangement oi the boardcontaining thereon the playing field for the game constituting ourinvention, the board being provided with lettering and distinctivelymarked areas to indicate routes, buildings and various stations to betraversed and visited by the players.

Figure 2 represents six theme tower cards, these being representative ofa set of cards drawn by players during the course of the game.

Figure 3 represents three ticket stubs obtain- .able from certainbuildings that must be visited, these being lined for color.

' Figure 4 represents four of a set of ticket stubs obtainable fromvarious other buildings represented. on the playing eld.

Figure 5 represents in perspective the dice used inplaying this game,and

Figure 6 represents three of a set of playing (Cil. T33- 134) which heentered the field, is declaredthe winner.

The specific procedure for the game will be more clearly understood froman examination oi the items of equipment illustrated 'in the drawings.The playing ileld is graphically represented preferably on the board Kof Figure l, showing variousV routes R along which are located theexposition buildings and other stations. The buildings, illustrated byshaded areas, are represented for the purpose of this specification bythe reference numerals i to til, although they can each have printedthereon names to correspond with the actual buildings on the .Fairgrounds.

The special buildings or those that must be visited are the Theme Towerbuilding, represented by reference numeral 3d, the Hall of Nationsbuilding, represented by the reference numeral t,` and one of thebuildings at the south end of the lake L, represented by the rei'-erence numerals 2, il, Il and 2dr-all of said special buildings beingillustrated by crosshatchecl areas.

Scattered through the route are a number oi areas or boxes 35representing*penaltystops such as comfort stations (containing thereinthe insignia C. S.) and other areas or boxes 36 representing rest rooms(containing therein the insignia R. RJ. The entire route including thevarious paths shown on Figure 1 are subdivided into mmany boxes 3l, eachrepresenting a station or unit of advance. Within certain of said spacesare boxes 38 containing two intersecting diagonal lines therein for thepurpose of this specification, these boxes representing so-cailed themetower call spaces. Leading into the various paths at certain pointsthereof are a number of gates identified by the reference numerals A toJ.

In the specific plan of the grounds shown in Figure l, a lake L appears,one portion of which is marked South end, this being a region that must,as hereinbefore stated, be Visited by the player in accordance with therules of the game.

It will also be noted that along the various paths` are arrows 39indicating the direction of travel along said paths. Thus it will beseen that some of said paths are reserved for one-way travel, whereasothers permit two-way passage thereover.

In playing the game, a superintendent of the fair is elected whose dutyit is to distribute the Vticket stubs such as 40, 4l and 42 of Figure 3and 43, 44, 45 and 46 of Figure 4. For each building there must be anumber of such ticket stubs, preferably containing the name or numberiid.

of the building thereon, so that each player who visits such buildingsduring his progress along the field may receive a ticket stub as proofof his visit. A stack of the Theme Tower or destination cards cnsistmgof caras such as nq, 41, 4s, u, 50 and 5| is placed upon the card space52 to properly prepare the apparatus for playing.

The starting player 'is selected in argv appropriate way, such as byrolling a pair of dice. When the starter is selected, vit is hisprivilege to choose any gate for entrance that he may desire.Thereafter, all subsequent players must successively enter throughadjacent gates to the left thereof. And as soon as it is determinedwhich gate a player will enter, he is provided with a playing piece suchas 52, containing thereon a letter corresponding to thedesignation ofhis entrance gate.

To start his course of travel on-the neld, each player rolls three diceI3, 54 and 55 shown in Figure 5, the die 55 being larger than the othertwo. The sum of the numbers on the two small dice 53 and 5l determinesthe number of spaces the playing piece moves. For example, should thesaid sum be 1, the player must move through seven of the spaces such as31, in the direction indicated by the arrows.

If such moves bring the player to a space with a building thereon, thesuperintendent must give him a ticket stub as evidence that he hasvisited that building. If, during the course of the game, the playershould again visit the same building, he cannot again receive a ticketstub from that building.

The number shown on the large die 55 gives the player the opportunity tomove any one of his parent that by a single roll of the dice a playerAnot only advances himself, but also' may exercise some control over theposition of any one of his opponents. If a player, whether through hisown act of rolling the dice or as a result of the number on the saidlarge die rolled by an opponent, is brought to certain areas orstations, he may, under certain circumstances, findA himself penalized,so that one may either gain or lose at any roll of the dice. In thismanner it appears vthat every one of the players mayA be moved at anytime during the progress of the game, either by himself or by the act ofany other player.

Should a player nd himself at a comfort sta- I tion 35 or rest room 36,by virtue of the roll of the dice, he must either lose a turn or forfeita ticket stub to one of the buildings. In this connection it will benoted that the boxes 35 and 36 are positioned outside of the directpath'in the eld so that should a. player nd himself in a space such as35a. or 36m, he must move out into the outside box 35 or 36, as the casemay be. To advance from said outside box, he must first pass througheither 35a. or 36a, each of which constitutes a single unit of advance.A

A player can also be sent to a comfort station or rest room in the eventhis space becomes occupied, upon a subsequent roll of dice, by anopponent. In `such an event, the opponent ousts the rst player from hisposition and forces him into the nearest comfort station or rest room,-

backward or forward,so that the ousted player automatically loses amove. As a reward to an lopponent sending a player to a comfort stationor rest room, said opponent may at once move tothe nearest building andreceive a ticket stub therefor.

If a player lands on a theme tower call space 38, he must pick a cardfrom the theme tower pack at 52, and thereby receive furtherinstructions, in accordance with the notation contained thereon, as tohowto continuedahereafter. For instance, should he pick card number 49,the player would be required to go back ilve spaces. It is obvious thatthe employment of such cards may provide considerable amusement and alsoadd further to the element of chance in determining the progress of aplayer through the grounds.-

It will be noted that the Fair buildings are situated at diil'erentspaces around the board, and these should be the main objective of eachmove for the purpose of obtaining ticket stubs. However, in .order toforce the players to traverse the entire territory, the rules of thegame provide that a ticket stub must be obtained from the Theme Towerbuilding 30, the Hall of Nations 8 and one of the buildings 2, 21, I or28 at the south end of the lake.

Only when a player has received a predetermined number of ticket stubs,including the three mus stubs (Figure 3), will his return to hisstarting gate enable him to wim-provided he is the rst of the players tomeet these re quirements. As he gets within ten spaces, for example, ofhis entering gate, the player may refuse to move his playing piece untilhis roll of dice gives him the exact number of points to carry him outthrough the exit space.

-This game can be played with various groups of players. With from twoto four persons playing, it is advisable that fifteen ticket stubs shallbe the minimum to be obtained by a player before hecan return to hisstarting place. With from nve to ten players, the required number ofticket stubs may be reduced to twelve.

It is apparent that the arrangement of buildings and the routes may bevaried in accordance with the physical plan of the selected field,within the contemplation of this invention. One of the dominant featuresof this game is the employment of a plurality of dice, for the purposeof controlling the advances not only of the player rolling the dice butof any of his opponents; and another feature of the game ischaracterized by the various penalties and rewards depending upon -theposition to which the player is moved. The

incentive is Ato obtain a given number of'ticket stubs in as brief atime as possible, thereby requiring the player to traverse the entirefield. Particularly in the specic eld shown on the drawings, which isillustrative of the Worlds Fair" grounds, the game by virtue of theapparatus thereof and rules therefor will give the player a thoroughknowledge of the various buildings and feature spots on the grounds, inaddition to providing a pleasant pastime.

It is of course .understood that the various embodiments above describedand shown in the drawings are illustrative of our invention and notemployed by way of limitation, inasmuch as numerous changes andmodications may be made within the scope of the appended claims withoutdeparting from the spirit of this invention.

What we claim is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a board having a representation of aplaying field` thereon and over which game pieces controlled by chancedevices may be moved; said playing eld including areas designatingbuildings, a path having directional markings thereon and connecting theseveral buildings, said path being marked off into individual blocks,gates indicated at certain points along the path providing a seriesofindependent entrances to the path, certain of said blocks constitutingpenalty stations, and a single way station located adjacent each penaltystation to temporarily shunt one of the game pieces off o f the mainpath. p

2. A game apparatus comprising a board hav- Y ing a representation of aplaying field thereon and over which game pieces controlled bychancedevices may be moved; said playing eld including areas designatingbuildings, a path-having directional markings thereon and connecting theseveral buildings, said path being marked oi into individual blocks,gates indicated at certain points along the path providing a series ofindependent entrances to the path, certain of said blocks constitutingpenalty stations, certain of said blocks being marked to designateadditional and over which game pieces controlled by chance devices maybe moved; said playing iield including a plurality of buildings, a pathhaving directional markings thereon and connecting the severalbuildings', said path comprising a plurality of sinuousintercommunicating courses divided into spaced areas, gates indicated'at certain of said areas forming a plurality of independent entrancesto the path, certain of said areas being distinctively marked toindicate penalty stations and destination call stations,land a waystation adjacent each penalty station to temporarily shunt one of thegame pieces off of the main path.

JOHN W. HOBBS.

CORNELIUS HART.

